Sports

Sterling Tigers wrestling competes for 3 days on the road

The Tigers traveled for matches in Wiggins and Florence

Ernesto Ochoa (picture at a home event earlier this season) won two matches on Thursday and placed fifth at the Mel Smith Invitational over the weekend. (Kyle Inman / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

The Sterling High School Tigers wrestling team won two duals on Thursday in Wiggins, before competing in the Mel Smith Invitational in Florence on Friday and Saturday.

The Tigers started the three-day trip with team wins over Wiggins and University High Schools. Sterling defeated Wiggins 69-6 as Tate Green, Drew Book, Moises Rivas and Zach Loft won by pin fall and Ernesto Ochoa won by 13-6 decision. Sterling won over University 67-12 as Book, Rivas, Isaac De Leon and Traevonn Walton won by pin and Ochoa and Riley Bornhoft won by decision.

"I think team-wise we showed up and won the matches that we were supposed to win and came away with two solid victories," coach Chad Duncan said.

After the matches, the team traveled to Florence to wrestle as part of a 36-team field at the Mel Smith Invitational. Loft competed in six matches at 120 pounds, finishing with a record of 4-2 and placing fourth. Ochoa competed to a record of 5-2 at 145 pounds and placed fifth after winning a 5-1 decision over Micah Hertrich of Buena Vista. Book fell in the fifth-place match to Michael Inouye of Lakewood at 220 pounds after competing to a record of 3-3 at the invite. Bornhoft, Eleazar Chavez, Walton, De Leon and Carlos Rodriguez won matches, but didn't place.

"There's definitely room for improvements," Duncan said. "I know in their minds, some guys didn't perform up to their capability and their coaches probably agree with them, but there's ups and downs in a long season. We just hope that we can learn from it and perform at a high level when we see that stiff competition again."

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Duncan added that the difference between winning and losing the invite matches were slim and a few better decisions could have prevented them from picking up wins. He said that the schedule of travel, sleeping in a hotel and competing all day over the weekend is solid preparation for the postseason.

"It just mimics the state tournament where you have to do it three days in a row," Duncan said. "It's the only time we have that opportunity. We're getting a few more matches than we would at state, but I think it prepares them for it in the long run and that's why I like it."

The Tigers will hit the mats again on Saturday in Strasburg, where they will compete in the Tony Tresch Memorial Duals, starting at 9:30 a.m.

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